This is an essay covering various aspects which are following;
The essay is all about critique selected journal paper.
Aiming of the question 1, 2, 3, and 4 is to develop the ability of independent research including identification of research gaps, theoretical background, understanding literature review, and contributions. More importantly, for the question 5, students need to make their own proposal and suggestions based on question 1, 2, 3, and 4 to enhance the research paper.
Criterion and the structure of essay: Critique Journal Paper.
Journal: Thai, V., and Jie, F. (2018) The impact of total quality management and supply chain integration on firm performance of container shipping companies in Singapore. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 30(3), 605-626.
Structure of the Individual Essay
1. Introduction: identifying and discussing following parts.
1. Aim of the research 2. Gaps and Contribution (What was the research gap that the authors found for their own study) 3. What is the research paradigm (please explain from ontology to method).
Students should discuss briefly about the aim of the study, the gaps and main findings of the study. The research gaps mean that what was the research gaps identified for their own study mentioned above (It is not asking you to identify your own research gap). From the paper, you need to identify and explain the research paradigm pathway that they adapted.
2. Literature review: discuss following parts.
1. Previous studies (theory) 2. Use of previous studies (theory) in this study
I am expecting following aspects:
Previous studies (theory or model): Students need to identity what are the theories in the literature that the authors identified. Use of previous studies (theory or model) in this study: Students need to explain how the authors adapted these existing theories to develop their study.
I expect students to discuss the theory from the literature review and explain why these previous studies are important and relevant to this study. This section is very important because it shows the main foundation of the study that could be the main motivation of the study. Also, it is strongly connected to the hypothesis development because literature review contains the rational and fundamental explanation of the developing hypothesis.
3. Methods and Analysis:
1. Identifying hypothesis of the study. 2. Measures – identifying independent, dependent and control variables 3. Explaining the method applied to this study.
Please discuss the hypothesis of this study: ideally, students need to focus on the linkage between hypothesis and literature review. For instance, how they build the hypothesis or what was theoretical background for development of hypothesis. Please focus on the hand-out of Lecture 3: literature review.
Students need to identify key variables such as independent variables, dependent variable, and control variables. Briefly explain how they measured and type of data. Also identify the method adapted for the study.
4. Conclusion
1. Discuss the main findings
Briefly discuss the main findings. Also discussing how and why these findings are important for the participants in the field.
5. Your suggestions or proposal
1. How would you improve this research? or What would you do differently?
This final section is all about your suggestion. Students are required to do their own research on the topic and identify alternative theory to apply for the study (INTERDISCIPLINARY CONSIDERATION). In other words, it needs to find an alternative theory to explain the main
argument of the study. (please do not miss the lecture 3). Also, students can make suggestions such as including other additional variables, applying to the different markets, different sample size, different methods and so on. However, these suggestions are secondary improvement. Please focus on theory that you can apply in explanation of the main argument of the paper.
Finally, when you are making any suggestion, you need to show the academic reference for each suggestion.
